Xx MAMORU xX
by Little Bellflower
Summary: The life of a ninja has never been easy and every ninja has their own story to tell. Follow along to the lives of two aspiring kunoichis as they face the hardships that come with being a ninja. Itachi/OC Deidara/OC
1. A Foreign Land and Wolf Fangs

**A/N: HI there readers! So this is my first fanfiction here that I am also currently writing in a separate notebook. I will be using **_Spanish_** in this fanfiction…so yeah. This is for my friend, Atanih-chan who has been nagging me about this story (I thank you for that Atanih-chan!). Ssssoooo…I hope you guys like it. I do not own Naruto. If I did, the space time continuum would be in chaos right now.**

_Chapter 1: A Foreign Land and Wolf Fangs_

_Konohagakure (1)…_

The name sounded so strange to the little five-year-old girl who held tightly on to her mother's hand as her father spoke to a man who seemed to be guarding the giant gate before her. There was another man there as well who seemed scary from the child's point of view. They both seemed strange and intimidating from their clothes to the weapons they held in their hands. Her mother and father had mentioned this strange land and had told her its name…Konohagakure which, according to her parents, was going to be her new home. It was all rather sudden for her mother and father to come here without a reason. Well, she was just a child. She was given no reason to as of why her parents decided to come to this foreign land. The child did not know that in these people's eyes _**they**_ were the foreigners. Considering these war times in the Shinobi world, being a foreigner in a Shinobi village that was supposedly _hidden_ was not exactly a good thing. The guards at the gates had every right to be suspicious of anyone that tried to get into their village without identification. The little girl hid behind her mother as one of the guards looked at her with a piercing glare. The glare then turned to a soft gaze as the guard realized it was a young child he had frightened. The child smiled as she came out of her hiding place and looked up at her mother who did not look at her and continued to wear a worried expression on her face.

"_Mami (2)…"_ the child started to say to her mother as she slightly tugged her mother's pink shirt in order to get her attention. Her mother diverted her eyes from the scene before her and looked at her daughter with a stern look.

"_Sssshhh…ahorita __no es tiempo para hablar Kyra (3)."_ The little girl, whose name was apparently Kyra, frowned at the response she was given and sulked for a couple of seconds. Kyra glanced up at her father who was getting flustered since these two guards did not speak the same language as they did. Kyra's emerald green eyes were filled with curiosity and confusion when she sensed something or **someone** headed their way. It happened to be a lot of **someones**. No one seemed to take notice of this but Kyra which appeared interestingly odd to her. How could they not feel those strange energy pulses?

"_Alguien viene (4)…"_ Kyra whispered. As soon as she said these words, a group consisting of four people appeared in a lightning flash motion. These newcomers wore porcelain animal masks which concealed their faces and seemed to be wearing a uniform of some kind since they all wore the same black and grey armor with arm guards. Three of the four had a spiral tattoo on their left shoulders while one of the four had the same kind of tattoo on their right shoulder. The guards and Kyra's parents were in a state a sock for a moment as these strangers appeared.

"What seems to be the problem here?" One of them asked the guards.

The guard that had given Kyra a death glare before decided to speak up and said, "We are having a bit of trouble here. We don't know what these people want seeing as we can't understand a single word that they are saying."

"Are they ninja?"

"It seems unlikely that the adults are…but the child…" said the one with the tattoo on their right shoulder. They all turn to look at Kyra as they took in the next words that were said. "She has a fair amount of chakra…strange chakra though. I don't believe they pose a threat to us. I don't sense anything strange do you?"

They all agreed and decided it would be best to take the family to the Hokage. "Hok…age?" questioned Kyra to her mother. Her mother's brown orbs turned to her and a small smile formed on her lips to help assure her little daughter that everything would be alright. Kyra's father glanced at his wife and daughter with a confounded look plastered on his face. He had not understood what words had been exchanged among these people let alone his wife and child. The small family seemed uncomfortable by the look of things and the uniformed strangers noticed this. The one with the tattoo on their right shoulder who happened to have the voice of a woman kneeled down to Kyra's eye level and patted her hair affectionately to help Kyra feel at peace. Kyra smiled at the woman in uniform as the woman stood up and offered Kyra her hand to show her the way to the village beyond the gate.

**Somewhere ****far from Konohagakure…**

It seemed that today would be a very nice pleasant day for _Mikan no Tsukigakure (5)_. The sun glistened slightly above the clouds that had lingered longer than the ones that had created rain the day before. The people below the sky were in a state of peace unlike most Shinobi villages. This village had been spared from all the death and sorrows that came with war…but was it safe from the chaos of a nonhuman being?

Mikan no Tsukigakure was a small village but was widely known because of its infamous and powerful clan. Yes, the Yugauh Clan had made its mark on the Shinobi world and was known as the _Ookami Akuma Clan (6)._This widely known clan always tends to stay away from outsiders unknown to the clan. Members of the clan are referred to as Wind Elementals or Masters of the Wind. Members of this particular clan were known to be cruel and ruthless in battle. However, they were very loyal to their village and had courage. Their kind of loyalty and courage was a rarity not found in many and because of this little Atanih Yugauh was proud to be part of such a clan. Atanih Yugauh was a young five-year-old girl with a dream to be one of the greatest kunoichis in history! However, that dream seemed very far away at this moment in time. You see, Atanih was already enrolled at the Ninja Academy but she would not start until tomorrow.

"Tomorrow is taking forever mother!" yelled Atanih with her arms outstretched dramatically. Her mother looked at her daughter who was sprawled on the soft rug of the floor and chuckled.

"Patience is a virtue."

"Patience sucks."

"Patience is what every great ninja has."

"…" Atanih stood halfway up and 'hmphed' at what her mother said. Her mother sat next to her daughter and ran her fingers through Atanih's long black hair. Atanih's white lavender eyes softened and looked at her mother. "I saw six bwack birds today while I was pwaying with the wolfs." Her mother froze for a moment. Six crows was an omen of death to come. At the same time, a shrill cry was heard from the outskirts of the Yugauh compounds. Atanih jumped from the sound of it and stood up immediately. "Mother?" Atanih's mother had disappeared from her side for a moment but reappeared behind her.

"You must hide!"

"But-"

"No buts. Come let's go back to the main house and hopefully we run into your father." Atanih nodded and followed her mother outside. As soon as they were outside, cries and screams were heard from the front gates of the village. Large blazes could be seen from some parts of the village. But what shocked Atanih the most was not the rising flames. It was a giant creature about fifteen or twenty feet tall. It looked like a giant wolf with piercing yellow eyes and massive razor fangs. It was a demon. And it was attacking the village.

_(1) Konohagakure- Village Hidden in the Leaves_

_(2) Mami-Mom_

_(3)…ahorita no es tiempo para hablar Kyra - …right now is not the time to speak Kyra._

_(4) Alguien viene…- Someone's coming…_

_(5) Mikan no Tsukigakure- Village Hidden in the Crescent Moon_

_(6) Ookami Akuma Clan- Wolf Demon Clan_

**A/N: There you have it! The first chapter to Mamoru. I hope you guys liked it. Please review if you have the time. It would be greatly appreciated! ****Any constructive criticism is welcomed…but NO FLAMES please!**


	2. New Friends?

**A/N: Ssssooo…what's up with the weird review Xx? WTF? That made me laugh in a good way and it kind of made me happy to see that **_**someone **_**had reviewed…coughs Atanih coughs. Yeah…I hope I have better luck with this chapter so here it is!**

_Chapter 2: New Friends?_

A week had passed since the unknown family had arrived in the village of Konoha. To the family's surprise, the Hokage happened to be leader of the village and had also been a kind man that had given the family a place to live in. He had also given Kyra's parents the choice of allowing Kyra to be trained as a ninja. Her parents had been reluctant to allow their daughter to be trained in the Shinobi way, but nonetheless had agreed to it. Seeing that it would be difficult to communicate with the family, the Hokage had also offered Kyra a chance to learn their language with the help of some who knew a bit of the language Kyra's family spoke. Overall, the small family had been very lucky.

Kyra's parents were having a bit of trouble adjusting to this new life and so was Kyra. Her first day in the Academy was not the most pleasant in the least. Everyone seemed to hate her with all the glares and such she was given by some of the kids in the Academy. This was because she was not from their village. She was an outsider. The children had made sure to stay clear of her since they did not trust her at all. Kyra was a quiet one and was extremely shy. And because of these personality traits, that often got in the way of making new friends. However, that seemed unlikely by the look of things. The Hokage and the elders had helped Kyra learn a few words in their language to help her communicate better with others and to help her understand what she was being taught at the academy. So far, she had not been able to progress as much as she'd hoped since she didn't understand a single thing that was being said to her by her teachers! Her teachers didn't even bother to at least _**show**_ her how to do things properly. Especially now. Today it seemed that they were learning how to throw a kunai properly and the students had been placed into groups of five for each four-ringed target with a circle for its center. Kyra had been placed in a group along with two other girls and two boys.

_Thump._

The kunai that had been thrown by one of the boys in Kyra's group had hit the target right in the center of it. The others were amazed and shared some 'oohs' and 'ahs'. Even the teacher came over and had asked him to do it again.

_Thump._

The results were the same. Everyone was impressed and had even applauded for him. The boy, however, just closed his eyes and stepped aside to let the next person take a shot at it. Kyra couldn't help but stare in admiration as the boy passed by her. What was his name? She had heard it a dozen times from not only students but from teachers. What was it? Itachi…Uchiha? That was it! Itachi Uchiha! That was his name! The boy opened his onyx eyes and met Kyra's glowing emerald eyes. They stared at each other for a moment until Kyra looked down shyly with a slight pink blush across her cheeks. It was almost her turn…and she was not feeling too confident. Heck! She didn't even know how to hold the kunai in her hands! Kyra whimpered slightly seeing that it was her turn. She glanced back at the girl behind her who was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Are you gonna go or not!" the girl shrieked. Kyra flinched at how she was talked to.

"_Yo-Yo no sé…como hacer esto… __(1)" _Kyra responded in a soft,timid voice.

"What did you say?! I can't understand what you are saying!" the girl said in a loud mocking voice.

"Yeah…maybe you shouldn't have come here! You should just go back to…from whatever place you came from! You-you…OUTSIDER!" the other girl in the group shouted. The outburst that had been heard by some students caused many of them to shout out in agreement.

"Urusai(2)." Said the voice of none other than Itachi Uchiha. Kyra looked up with tear-brimmed eyes and glanced at her hero. "Stop bothering her."

Everyone quieted down for a moment and continued to do the activity that was assigned. She did not know what had been said to her moments ago but she knew that it probably wasn't something very nice. She took a look at the girl who had first lashed out on her and saw that she had her head down in shame. Even though she did not understand what had occurred, she understood that Itachi Uchiha had stood up for her. She then looked to her hero and smiled gratefully. Itachi noticed this and returned the gesture. He walked to her and took the kunai she held from her hand and demonstrated how to hold it. He gave it back to her and waited to see if she got the message. She did.

"Now, throw it." He said to her. Kyra looked at him confused by his words but noticed his eyes were on the target. With this simple fact, she threw the kunai.

_Thump._

The kunai had hit the target around the second ring. Kyra smiled brightly and jumped up and down in her joy. Itachi raised an eyebrow at her antics and was caught off guard when she glomped him.

"A-Arigatou gozaimasu(3)…Itachi-san…"said Kyra as she let him go. These were the first words she had spoken in their language and were the first ones that the Hokage had taught her.

Itachi looked at her in surprise and slightly patted her head as he chuckled softly.

"You're welcome…Kyra-chan."

--

Iwagakure(4) had been the first to receive the shocking news from the remaining members of the Ookami Akuma Clan. The Tsuchikage, the village's leader, had taken advantage of their situation for his own personal benefit and had allowed the members of the clan to stay. Who were these remaining members you may ask? And what made them 'remaining'? For starters, Mikan no Tsukigakure was…no more. The rampaging wolf demon had destroyed the village completely and had disappeared happily knowing it had destroyed everything and everyone. Well, not everyone. Atanih's family had been the only surviving members and had managed to find their way to Iwagakure. The family had been accepted with open arms since their villages had been allies. When they had first arrived, the family had a somber and depressing aura around them. Atanih's parents had tried their best to help fend off the demon that had attacked their village but had been rendered injured in the process while Atanih herself tried her best to protect her two-year-old brother. Somehow, they had all managed to survive after the demon had left. But this only made it harder for the family though. It was…sad.

Atanih had been placed in Iwagakure's Ninja Academy and had also been asked to be trained personally under the Anbu of Iwagakure. Her parents had also been asked to serve under Iwagakure since their village was no longer on the face of the planet. They had no choice but to say yes to this. Now, they were all expected to be and remain loyal to this village.

A week had passed since the demon had attacked the village but the events of it…were still fresh on everyone's mind. Atanih was the one that had been affected the most since she was just a kid. She had never seen so much loss of life in mere moments. She had been introduced to the life of a ninja in the worst ways possible. That did not stop her from her dream. She had decided that she was going to become a ninja so she could protect the ones she loved the most. When she started going to the Academy, she had been told that she was showing much promise by some of her teachers. She was being treated differently here. It was as if they knew something she did not. And this was not settling well with her. She did not trust the Tsuchikage. There was something about him that she did not like at all. Most of the villagers had not been kind to them despite the fact that there villages were allies. And the children…they had not been exactly 'buddy buddy' with Atanih. She didn't like it here. She wanted to go home. She wanted to have her village back.

Atanih was now sitting on a swing slowly rocking back and forth. Her mother had 'suggested' her to go to the park where all the kids her age played and told her to make some friends. Atanih had only agreed because her mother wasn't exactly in the happiest of moods. '_Who cares about friends'_…Atanih thought sadly._ 'I don't need friends.'_

**That was a lie.**

In truth, she wanted someone she could talk to and relate to. She looked up and watched some kids playing with a ball and having a great time with each other. She sighed miserably and gazed up at the blue sky. Something white with wings had caught her eye. _'A bird?'_

The white bird had flown over to Atanih and was now flapping its wings in front of her. The bird was a strange looking bird. It was a bird but then it wasn't. The bird began to circle Atanih and poked her playfully on the sides of her stomach. Atanih started laughing from the tickling feeling she got every time it poked her. Then it flew off but stopped and looked back as if it were telling her to follow it.

"Hey! Come back birdy!"Atanih yelled as she ran after the bird. She followed not knowing where it was headed but something inside her told her to follow it. And so she did. Atanih stopped dead in her tracks as the bird flew into someone's hands. Atanih examined this person that held the bird. She assumed it was a boy her age but the somewhat long blonde hair told her otherwise. The boy looked up from his hands and then looked at Atanih with his striking blue eyes. His smile assured her that he was friendly. "Ano(5)…hi?"

"Hi there! What's your name mine's Deidara… yeah?" the boy asked.

"Atanih…Yugauh."

"I see. Why did you look so sad? That's why I sent my clay bird over to you. To make you smile…yeah."

Atanih blushed slightly and looked like she was on the verge of tears. Deidara waved his arms frantically in the air and basically panicked.

"Gah! Don't cry…yeah!"

Atanih looked at him and laughed still crying. "Deidara-san? Would you like to be my friend?"

Deidara froze and looked at her with a surprised expression. He then composed himself and smiled widely. "…yeah."

_(1)Yo-Yo no sé…como hacer esto…: I-I don't know how to do this…_

_(2) Urusai: Shut up_

_(3) Arigatou gozaimasu: Thank you very much._

_(4) Iwagakure: Village Hidden in the Rocks_

_(5) Ano: Um..._

**A/N: There's the second chapter! I hope it was okay! And if you have the time…please review! It would mean a lot to me! Thanks for reading! -**


	3. Time Lapses Part 1

**A/N: Hey what's up peoples?! How is everyone? Well, anyways, I will try to update more frequently before I have to go to…(gulps)…Band Camp (lightning and thunder in the background). Yeah…I do not own Naruto. I forgot to state that in the last chapter.**

_Chapter 3: Time Lapses (Part 1)_

_Four Years Later…_

"Kyra-chan?" said a boy's voice but received no response from the brunette. "Oi(1)! KYRA-CHAN!!"

_Drip._

_Drip._

Tears that trickled down Kyra's face fell onto the ground. The boy in front of her began to run around her in a panicked state. "Oi! Oi! D-Don't cry!! Eh…" he stopped running to think for a moment. He looked at Kyra's clouded eyes and emotionless stare. She was crying silently and her eyes gave away all of her emotions even though her expression showed none. It looked like she was in a trance by the way she swung back and forth on the swing that stood in front of the Academy. "Ano…what would Itachi-san do in a situation like this?"

"What about me?" said Itachi who stood behind his friend, Shisui Uchiha. Shisui turned around to face Itachi and sighed in relief. "Itachi-san…eh…Kyra-chan is-"

"Douka shita no(2)?" Itachi asked him nonchalantly as he took a glance at Kyra. His eyes soften as he noticed the tears on her face. He walked over to her and wiped her tears away with the back of his hand. He knew that it was best for her to let her express how she felt and that it would just be better if he were there to comfort her. He sighed as Shisui looked at him anxiously. Two years ago, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon had attacked their village and had lost many lives…including the ones of Kyra's parents and the fourth Hokage. She no longer had a family or a sensei. Yes, the fourth Hokage had not only taught her how to speak their language but had also given her ninja skills. This loss had taken a toll on Kyra.

Kyra looked up at Itachi and smiled amiably.

"Better?"He asked her.

"Hai(3)."She said as she stood up. The pair stared into each other's eyes and shared a smile. Shisui looked at Itachi then at Kyra and smirked as if he knew something they didn't. He turned around so his back was facing them and put his hands behind his head.

"Are we going to go train or what?"Shisui said to them. Kyra turned her head to look at him and grinned. She grabbed Itachi's hand and then grabbed Shisui's hand as she passed by him.

"Well then…let's go!" She exclaimed as she dragged both boys towards their usual training grounds. Itachi and Shisui glanced at each other and smirked before they broke free from Kyra's grasp.

"Race you there!" Shisui yelled after he and Itachi took off. Kyra stood there dumbfounded and raised an angry fist in the air.

"No fair! You guys got a head start!!"

--

'_Run! RUN!'_ Atanih thought as she sped off into the forest along with her little brother on her back. Why was she running? She was running away from those hunter ninja that Iwagakure had sent after her and her family. She had been right about the Tsuchikage. He had not been the best person to trust. He had been brutal when he had been training Atanih and had included her little brother as well. Her parents had also been forced into to doing spiteful things for the village and had been often sent on dangerous missions. The Tsuchikage had been using them as tools for his own purposes. When the family found out about this, they had decided that they would run away together as far away from the village as possible. Their plan had not gone as successful as they had wanted it to be. They had been caught by some hunter ninja. Atanih's parents had told her to run and get away as far as she could. She had wanted to stay and help her parents but she had to protect her little brother. She only hoped that her parents were still alive and were right behind them.

Atanih had now been running for about two hours. She was exhausted and decided to take a break under a large oak tree. She lowered her brother onto the ground with his head leaning against the trunk of the tree. Her brother had been sick and had passed out when she had been running.

She then sat down next to him and tried to steady her breathing. Her thoughts drifted from her parents to her friend…Deidara. She had left the village without telling him anything. How will he react to her leaving?

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" Said a male's voice from above the trees interrupting Atanih's thoughts. Atanih instinctively stood up and took out a kunai from her weapons pouch that was attached to her right leg. She got into a fighting stance and tried her best to not show her fear. She looked up and saw five hunter ninja from Iwagakure. "Aaaww…the little girl thinks she can hold her own against us. Pathetic. If your dear parents didn't manage on their own, what makes you think you can?"

Atanih winced and started trembling. They were right. She was a good ninja for her age but it did not compare to what rank they were. The one that had spoken threw several shuriken at her with incredible speed. Atanih closed her eyes and prepared herself mentally for the shuriken to hit her.

_Clank._

Shuriken clashed with shuriken. Atanih slowly opened her eyes and saw the falling shuriken in front of her. "N-Nani(4)?" Atanih whispered to herself. She _**definitely**_ had not thrown those.

"Five against one? That's not fair." Said a man that now stood besides Atanih. The man wore a blood red cloak and a black hat that covered his eyes. The hunter ninja did not hesitate to attack but failed and were cut down by the strange man's long sword he had in his hands. Atanih eyes sparkled and bravely took a step forward.

"Who-who are you?"Atanih asked the stranger coyly.

"The name's Halt, kid." The stranger responded while he wiped his sword on the grass.

Atanih pouted and huffed as she crossed her arms in front of her. "Don't call me kid."

Halt looked at her with a smirked and chuckled lightly. "Then what's your name?"

"Atanih…Atanih Yugauh"

"…I'll call you kid."

"HEY!"

Halt noticed a small boy leaning against a tree and then looked at Atanih. "Who's the other kid?"

"My otouto(5)."

"…Where are your-" he started to say but stopped as soon as Atanih's expression dropped. Halt took off his hat to reveal dark ruby eyes and long charcoal hair tied into a low ponytail. Atanih looked at him then fell to the ground as she started to cry.

"…how-how am I…suppose to tell my brother?"

Halt gave her a sympathetic look and then knelt down to her eye level. "Would you like to come with me?"

"…"

"If you have nowhere to go…then you have nothing to loose."

"What about-" Atanih started to say with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Your brother too."

Atanih contemplated on this for a moment and nodded accepting his offer. Halt smiled and put his hat on again. "Good."

He walked over to Atanih's brother and carried him on his back. "Let's go then."

"Where to?" Asked Atanih as she walked besides Halt. Halt took her small hand into his and gave her a lighthearted look.

"…Konohagakure."

_(1) Oi- Hey_

_(2) Douka shita no?- what's wrong?_

_(3) Hai-Yes_

_(4) Nani- What_

_(5) Otouto- Little brother_

**A/N: There you have it! I'll probably post the next chapter in an hour or two. Before I go…there is something I need to tell you guys about the title of this story. 'Mamoru' means 'to protect'. I thought it would suit the story nicely if I gave it that title. Ssssooo…yeah. Well, thanks for reading and please review. It keeps me going!**


	4. Time Lapses Part 2

**A/N: HA! Told you I would update soon!! This chapter may be shorter than the rest because it's more like a transitional chapter but I will make the others longer to make up for it! SO…don't fret my dear readers!! Now, let's get onto the story!! YAY!! I do not own Naruto. **

_Chapter 4: Time Lapses (Part 2)_

_Three Years Later…_

"Well then, let's get to know each other first, ne? I'll start us off." Halt said with a wink and leaned against the wall. He took a quick look at the new genin before him. The three man squad was composed of a boy and two girls. The boy crossed his arms and had a vein popping out from the anger he was feeling. He had been teamed up with _girls_. _**Girls**__!_ The two quiet weird girls from his class. "…I'm Halt and I will be your sensei. I don't have any hobbies besides training. I like many things and dislike many things as well. I don't have a goal or a dream. And if I did it probably wouldn't be anything exciting."

_Silence._

"Atanih…you're next." Halt said after a brief moment of silence. The other two looked at the girl and waited patiently. Atanih grumbled something and frowned.

"My name is Atanih Yugauh. My hobbies…are probably reading, writing, and listening to music. I LOVE ramen and I like to train. I hate inconsiderate people and people who try and hurt those that are close to me. My goal is reunite with a certain person and…to become one of the greatest ninja out there!" Atanih said finishing with a determined look on her face. Halt felt very proud of Atanih and hid his smile by tilting his hat over his face.

"…Next." Halt said as he looked over at the girl next to Atanih. The girl looked up with her green eyes and smiled politely.

"My name is Kyra. I-I don't know my last name so please don't ask. I have a lot of hobbies. Um…I LOVE ramen and I LOVE to cook. I don't really dislike anything. As for my goal, I can't really say much." Kyra closed her eyes and smiled happily.

"…Good." Halt said slowly narrowing his eyes. He had been aware that Kyra's chakra had a different flow from everyone else and it seemed familiar to him. He had felt that kind of chakra somewhere. Question is, where? The last one of the genin laid down on the floor with his hands behind his head and let out a low growl.

"The name's Shuuya Nanahara. I don't have hobbies. I don't particularly like anything. I dislike everything. And I don't 'feel' like sharing my goal." The orange spiky haired boy said. Everyone stared at Shuuya and sweatdropped.

"Ahem…well, aren't you just full of happiness and joy." Halt remarked with a straight face. Atanih and Kyra giggled as Shuuya stood up with a twitching eye. After a couple of seconds had passed, Halt stood up straight and faced his team. "I suggest you get to know each other and have a goodnight's rest because tomorrow…will be hell for you kids."

Kyra raised her hand hesitantly and asked, "W-what will we be doing tomorrow?"

Halt smirked and lowered his hat.

"Survival training to see if you are fit to be Shinobi." With that said, he poofed away in a cloud of smoke. Shuuya put his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.

"I'm outta here." He said with a wave of his hand.

"Demo(1)…Shuuya-san…" Kyra said but was too late seeing that Shuuya had already left. Kyra let out a sigh and looked at Atanih who was playing with a strand of her black hair. "Atanih-san?"

Atanih looked up as soon as she heard her name and said, "Hai?"

"Would you like to come with me to Ichiraku's? My treat."

Atanih smiled happily and nodded fervently. Kyra smiled as the two young kunoichis headed for Ichiraku. It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

_(1) Demo-But_

**A/N: Well, that's it! I will probably update tomorrow as well. Sssooo…yeah. Thanks for reading! Please review!! I will not resort to begging for that! …Okay…maybe I will.**


	5. Bonds and Teamwork

**A/N: So much for tomorrow!! I'm so sorry! I just wasn't please on how I wrote this chapter the first time so I had to go back and fix it! Anyways, I will be updating this story more for those of you that actually read this story. I do not own Naruto.**

_Chapter 5: Bonds and Teamwork_

As soon as Kyra and Atanih arrived at Ichiraku's they were greeted by a little spiky haired blonde boy with an animated personality. "Kyra-chan!!" the little boy yelled and got up from his seat to wave enthusiastically. Atanih and Kyra both looked up from their conversation and walked over to the little boy.

"Naruto-kun!!" Kyra said as she ruffled the little boy's hair. Naruto gave her a large grin and blushed slightly. Kyra smiled and looked over at Atanih. "Atanih-san, this little prankster here is Naruto Uzumaki. He's like a little brother to me."

Atanih's bangs shadowed her face as soon as she heard the word 'brother'. Naruto gave her a curious glance and frowned. Before Naruto got a chance to question her actions, Atanih instantly beamed and gave Naruto a forced smile. "It's very nice to meet you Naruto-kun!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow and politely returned the smile. He then noticed that there was something different. What was it? AH! But of course! Why didn't he see it before!

Naruto eyes shone brightly when he saw the Konoha headbands both girls where wearing. This signified that you were officially a ninja. All the ninja villages had headbands with their own village's symbol. The Konoha symbol was a leaf swirl shape and the forehead protector came in either black or dark blue. Both girls had gotten black headbands but wore them differently. While Kyra wore hers on her forehead like most ninja, Atanih wore hers loosely around her neck. They had received them because they had graduated from the ninja academy. Those who had graduated were technically considered genin but not quite. They were candidates. Their sensei Halt had informed of this when he first saw his new group. So they weren't 'real' genin…yet. "You got your headbands!! That is so cool!"

"It is!" Kyra exclaimed. Atanih nodded her head in agreement.

"Lucky!!" Naruto said. He crossed his arms and pouted. Atanih and Kyra laughed at his playfulness.

"Don't worry! You'll be starting at the Academy soon…right?" Kyra asked. "You'll be a great ninja!"

"You think so?" Naruto asked with doubt. Kyra ruffled his hair once more and gave him a sweet smile.

"If I wasn't sure, then I wouldn't be saying it. Now, do you have more room in that stomach of yours for more ramen?"

"Five more bowls of miso ramen old man!"he exclaimed as he sat down. The owner, Teuchi, looked at Kyra for approval. Kyra gave him a smile and a nod.

"Make that seven bowls of miso ramen Teuchi-san."

"Coming up!" Teuchi said with enthusiasm.

"Arigatou(1) Kyra-san!" Atanih said while she sat down besides Kyra.

"You're welcome!"

--

Both girls walked side by side as the sun was barely setting down. "How do you know Halt-sensei?"

Atanih looked at her for moment and responded, "He's…my adopted father."

"Really? That's cool. Then, do you know what we are doing tomorrow?"

There was a pause. "Nope."

"Hehe…"

Atanih grinned and gave a small laugh too. They both stopped and jumped their way up to the nearest rooftop to get a better view of the sky.

Kyra sighed. "It's pretty."

"…yeah."

There was a long silence between them as they continued to watch the sunset from the rooftops. Soon after they decided that it was getting late and parted their ways.

--

Atanih, Kyra, and Shuuya were sitting Indian style on the grassy ground in front of a forest surrounded by metallic fencing. They were facing the entrance to the creepy woods where a huge sign with a number 32 plastered on the right side of the entrance. Beyond the entrance the forest was thick with tall green trees. A white mist lingered below the tree giving an eerie feeling to the young ninjas. Halt stood by the entrance and gave them a smirk before explaining their task. "Alright kiddies. This here is battle training zone #32. It was specifically design for survival training and to see how ninja interact when they are placed in a group. Unlike most of the jonin senseis, I decided to take more…drastic measures to test you. I want to make sure you are ready to be true genin and this test…will prove it." He paused to take out a rather small scroll and opened it. The scroll obviously contained a mapping of the area. He pointed out where they were now and where their destination was to be. "At the end of the forest, there is a large sakura tree. That is your destination."

"So, it's like a hiking trip?" Shuuya said uncaringly. Halt lowered his hat and chuckled.

"Iie(2). All you have to do is find your way through the forest within the time limit." Halt explained.

"Which is…?" Shuuya asked slowly.

"Three hours. Heh…I'll be waiting for you at the end." Halt turned to open the entrance and disappeared. _"Be careful. There is danger in this place." _Halt's voice echoed through the forest once he had departed. Shuuya stood up and dusted the dirt of his pants.

"Let's go." he said and entered the forest without hesitation. Atanih and Kyra looked at each other briefly with unsure expressions before following Shuuya into the forest.

_-:- Fifteen Minutes Later-:-_

"Um…Shuuya-san?" Atanih asked. Shuuya continued to jump from tree branch to tree branch. He was a few feet away from the two girls.

"What?"he said in an annoyed tone. Atanih grimaced at the tone of his voice. Did he really have to be so mean?!

"I don't think this is the best way…" Atanih said. Shuuya scoffed.

"What do you mean Atanih-san?" Kyra asked.

"I mean that…although it looks like if we keep going in a straight path to the forest-"

"It's the easiest path!" Shuuya interrupted. He stopped jumping and landed on the ground. Atanih and Kyra did the same.

Atanih shook her head. "No, it may seem like a clear path but-"

"What do you know?! I'm right and you're wrong!"

Atanih gave him a cold glare and Shuuya gladly returned it. "Um…guys?"Kyra intervened.

"Stay outta this!!"Shuuya yelled.

"Don't yell at her!"

"I can yell at whoever I want whenever I want!"

"…guys!" Kyra yelled.

"What?!" The arguing duo turned to her and froze when they saw five gigantic tigers surrounding them.

"Don't move. Maybe if we stand still, they will leave us alone." Kyra said. After that was said, one of the tigers let out a vicious growl. Talk about irony.

"RUN!" Shuuya shouted to them. They all jumped onto the trees once more and ran from the unpleasant animals. And of course, the tigers ran after them…at high-speed too!

"KYAAAAAHH!" Kyra screamed as she got pulled up by a rope attached to a tree. Shuuya and Atanih stopped and turned around only to see that their teammate had been caught in a trap. Kyra was now swinging back and forth upside down with the tigers waiting down below. "Um…a little help would be greatly appreciated!"

Shuuya and Atanih looked at her and then glanced at each other. "I'll distract the tigers while you get her down from there."

"Alright!" Atanih said. Shuuya appeared in front of the tigers and once he got their attention, he ran in order for them to follow. Which they did. Atanih made her way below Kyra, who had decided it was safe to cut the rope and took a kunai from her pouch and had began to cut it. Atanih watched in amusement as Kyra landed on top of a bush with an 'oomph'.

"…ow…" Kyra strained out. Atanih held out a hand for her and helped her up. Kyra's hair had many leaves poking out and some twigs here and there. Atanih laughed slightly and then realized that Shuuya probably needed help.

"Yo." said a voice from above. Both girls looked up and saw Shuuya sitting on a tree branch grinning like an idiot.

"Shuuya-san!" Kyra and Atanih shouted happily. Shuuya had used a clone to escape the claws of the big cats.

Shuuya jumped down to them and put his hands behind his head. Kyra bowed in respect for Atanih and Shuuya. "Arigatou Shuuya-san! Atanih-san!"

Atanih smiled while Shuuya just raised an eyebrow. Shuuya responded by saying, "Hmph. Well, that's what teammates do. No?"

Atanih and Kyra looked at him in surprise. "Don't look at me like that!"

Atanih put out her hand and said, "To team 4."

Kyra put her hand on top of Atanih's. "To team 4." Kyra repeated. Shuuya looked at them before he placed his hand in there as well.

"To team 4."

--

From afar, Halt smirked with a sense of achievement. They had gotten it.

_Teamwork._

_(1) Arigatou- Thank you_

_(2) Iie- No_

**A/N: Eh…I don't know how to feel for this chapter. I'm still not pleased with it. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope I get some reviews!**


	6. Genin

**A/N: Hey there! Sorry for the long wait guys! Since it's the New Year, I have made a New Year's resolution to update my stories more frequently. So, yeah. I'll try to post up a chapter at least every two weeks. Well, anyways, I'll be using some japanese words still but I will not repeat the meaning of words that I have already sated. I do not own Naruto. Onto the story! YAY!**

_Chapter 6: Genin_

Teams 4 had passed their test to become true genin and were now able to participate in missions. Three days after their so-called "test", the new genin team received an "exciting" mission. Ah, the thrill and excitement of a mission. Well…sort of.

"You…call this…a mission?" Shuuya irritably asked his sensei who was leaning against a tree looking very entertained by his reaction. Halt only glanced at him and chuckled in amusement.

_Rewr!! Hiss!! Hiss!!_

"Oi!! Oi!! Get this…this… this _**thing**_ off of me!!" Shuuya shouted as an orange tabby cat pounced on his face and began using it as a scratching post.

"Aaaaww!! Shuuya-san!! The kitty likes you!!" cooed Kyra as she picked up a cute black kitty and began cuddling it with love. Atanih ignored Shuuya's protests and shouts as she cared for the five puppies she was given to take care of.

"Hey there little puppy!" Atanih exclaimed in order to get the attention of the most troublesome puppy that was chasing its tail. The puppy's four legs got tangled up with one another and made the little puppy flip itself over. "Aaawww! How cute!!"

Atanih began scratching the little puppy's belly happily and continued to ignore Shuuya's muffled shouts in the background.

_Rewr!! Rewr!!Hiss!! Hiss!!_

"Gah!!"

---

For the following days, Team 4 had received various missions ranging from gardening to babysitting. All in all, they were more like chores than 'real missions. Shuuya had expressed his opinions to the Hokage in a rather angry state saying that he wanted a 'real mission' and that he was tired of doing 'chores' for people who were too 'lazy' to do them themselves. The Hokage had explained to him that they were just geinin and would need to gain experience first by doing D-level ranked missions. That explanation did not satisfy his need for a 'real' mission though.

"Come on old man! Can you at least give us a low C-level ranked mission?" Shuuya bluntly asked him. Halt bonked Shuuya's head for the lack of respect he was showing to the Hokage. "Oi! That hurt!"

The Hokage laughed and took another smoke from his pipe.

"Very well." The old man said. "I will give you a C-level ranked mission if your other teammates are willing to take on the challenge."

Shuuya looked at his teammates with a flushed face. "Atanih-chan? Kyra-chan?"

Atanih and Kyra looked at each other and smiled. "Hai! We accept the challenge Hokage-sama!"

"What's the mission Hokage-sama?" Atanih asked. The Hokage flipped through the various papers on his desk and picked some papers from the pile.

"Your mission will be to escort a circus caravan to the Tea Country. You will just protect them from thieves and robbers. Seems reasonable enough for a group of genin."

"Hai. Hokage-sama." Halt responded as he was handed the papers that contained the details for the mission.

"Your mission starts tomorrow...so don't be late. Before I forget, may I speak to Atanih-chan for a moment? The rest of you may leave."

As the rest of the group left, Atanih stayed behind and was curious to see what the Hokage was going to tell her. When everyone had left, the Hokage sighed deeply before he began to speak. "What is it Hokage-sama?"

"Atanih-chan. Your shinobi skills are good but not good enough."

"N-nani?" Atanih said. She was a bit shocked from this comment.

"I mean, that you will never be able to reach your full potential if you do not know your roots." Atanih tilted her head to the side, slightly confused. _'Roots?'. _"Not much is known about your clan's abilities. Even though they were widely known, your clan kept its secrets hidden very well. You were just about to begin your training as a ninja before your village was destroyed. And so, you did not even get to know what shinobi skills your clan used."

Atanih flinched from the sudden remembrance of the event. The Hokage's eyes softened before he continued to speak.

"That is why I will train you from now on."

Atanih's lavender eyes widened and was speechless. "...eh?!"

The Hokage chuckled and took another smoke from his pipe. He stood up and walked over to the twelve-year old girl. Atanih looked up at him with watery eyes and tried to put on a brave face. The Hokage put a comforting hand on Atanih's head and ruffled her hair affectionately. Tears fell from Atanih's eyes as she clung to the Hokage's white robes. "Don't worry little one. I will try my best to teach you what I do know from your clan."

"...*sniff,sniff*...arigatou...Hokage-sama."

---

**_Later that day..._**

"Ano…Itachi-kun?" Kyra called out to the Uchiha who was now on a short break from his training. Kyra was swinging upside down high up on a tree branch and had been watching the Uchiha prodigy train from there.

Itachi, who was sitting against the trunk of the tree, looked up to her and smirked. "You're going to fall down."

"Eh?! No I'm not." Kyra said as she continued her swinging.

"You're not very coordinated…or balanced."

"Itachi-kun! That's so mean!"

"I was just stating a fact. If you fall down, I'm not going to be there to catch you."

"…" Kyra stopped swinging and looked rather hurt from his words. Itachi quirked an eyebrow and slightly frowned by the sudden change of the mood. Had he said something wrong? "Are you saying…that I'm not a good ninja?"

"Nani? I didn't mean it like that."

"…but it was implied."

There was a long silence between the two. Kyra's grip on the tree branch loosened and caused her to be unbalanced. As she fell from the tree, she closed her eyes from her fear of how high it had been and hoped she would land in a bush or something. But she didn't. Kyra opened her eyes in confusion. Her green orbs met Itachi's onyx eyes. Itachi had caught her. Kyra's expression saddened while Itachi remained impassive.

"I…I thought you said you weren't going to catch me if I fell."

Itachi set her down and sighed. "…I won't always be there to catch you if you fall."

Kyra turned around with her back facing him. "Then I'll just land on my feet next time."

Itachi looked at her for a moment before he returned to his training. Kyra turned around to watch him continue his training. _'Although he didn't mean it...he was right though.'_ Kyra thought as she began to walk away from the training grounds_. 'I'm not a very good ninja.'_

**A/N: I know my chapters aren't long but I will try my best to make them longer. Now, if you have some time, please click the review button below. Thank you my dear readers!**


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